Detroit-based Guardhat has released a new, smart glasses-based solution designed to ensure the safety and productivity of front-line workers. Prices were not disclosed.
The solution is a result of a partnership between Guardhat and New York’s Vuzix Corp. Both companies work in wearable safety technology.
The glasses provide hands-free operation through voice commands, wireless connectivity, and interoperability with Guardhat’s industrial Internet of Things platform, Kyra. Through Kyra, Vuzix’s smart glasses connect to Guardhat’s Theia app, which allows users to track real-time location with built-in GPS.
Other features include wireless connectivity with offline operation when disconnected, audio-visual communications/telephony, and local media capture of images and video with sync to Kyra. Users can also call for help by sounding the panic alarm using voice activation or the dedicated button.
“We are thankful for the partnership with Vuzix, which allows us to better support a critical population of people working tirelessly throughout the ongoing pandemic,” says Anupam Sengupta, co-founder and chief product officer at Guardhat. “We continue to look for creative ways to leverage our technology to keep front-line workers safe every day, and these smart glasses are the next step in that evolution.”
The glasses are provided by Vuzix and include two wearable variants – the HG1 Smart Glasses (Vuzix M400) and the HG2 Smart Glasses (Vuzix M4000). HG2 comes with a see-through waveguide display as well as a larger WVGA 16×9 854×480 color display; 28 degrees, equivalent to a 9-inch mobile device screen seen at 18 inches. Both devices use the Qualcomm XR platform.
“The Guardhat app, Theia, brings with it real-time situational awareness that provides our smart glasses wearers with important heads-up and hands free information about their work environments that enhances enterprise worker productivity and safety,” says Paul Travers, CEO at Vuzix. “Vuzix looks forward to supporting GuardHat as they continue to roll out their Vuzix Smart Glasses-based solutions to enterprise workplaces.”
Users will be able to make audio and video calls to remote experts and operators, record audio and video and take pictures, scan barcodes and QR codes for asset identification, display work procedures and guided instructions and checklists, interoperate with other Guardhat devices and wearables over Bluetooth, and visualize events and current location on a live map.
“By offering these smart glasses, we are changing the industry,” says Indranil (Rony) Choudhury, COO at Guardhat. “These products showcase the innovation and industry growth that can come from the pressure of the pandemic.”
Guardhat develops wearables, infrastructure, and software platforms to provide safer and more productive work environments for frontline industrial workers in heavy manufacturing industries.
Vuzix provides smart glasses and augmented reality technologies for products for consumer and enterprise markets. It has additional offices in the United Kingdom and Tokyo.
